5 Things Every Traveler Should Do In February

If you’re thinking Costa Rica
for summer vacation, lock it in now.“Three years ago, travelers—
large families included—were
assured of finding available guest
rooms, even at the last minute,”
says Michael Kaye of Costa Rica Expeditions. “Not anymore.
Demand has gone up, so families
in particular need to book
now for midsummer trips.”

Make your plans for the
French Open.The tournament is in May, but
tickets are on sale now, so
secure a hotel or apartment this
month. “Look for lodgings along
the No. 10 metro line, which
goes direct to Stade Roland Garros,”
says Annie Flogaus of
Just France, a home rental
agency with properties in Paris.

Score a deal in the Maldives.“There are significantly lower
rates in May and June, and
this is the time to book,” says
Rabia Shahenshah of the
Tzell Travel Group. “You may
get some rain, but the weather is
otherwise just as idyllic as it is
in high season. And the resorts
will be less crowded than ever.”

Plan a trip to Panama.More specifically, a sail throughP anama’s away-from-it-all
Caribbean archipelago, the San
Blas Islands. “There’s little
rain and calm seas through May,”
says Rob Harper of Namu
Travel Group, who can charter a
crewed catamaran (for a day or
a week) out of Corazón de Jesús,
a port about 40 minutes by plane
from Panama City.

Reserve now for a repositioning
cruise—a one-way sailing on a ship
that’s swapping ports.It may seem insanely early, but
you’ll snag a great cabin on a
fall 2016 cruise with an interesting
itinerary, “like Silversea’s
Southampton–Montreal voyage,”
says cruise expert Linda Allen.